Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O One who never moves and never fades, ender of sorrow, treasure of every good thing; O One who fills all and lives in all; O Formless Companion, support of everyone.
O Keeper of the universe, endless well of goodness, always clear-seeing; You are, You always were, and You will always be. You stand beside the saints forever, the support of anyone with no other support. And here I am — small, empty-handed, with nothing of my own to offer. So this is all Nanak asks: give me the gift of the Naam, that I may string it like a treasure and keep it close in my heart, always.
The One who is, was and always will be, the Formless Companion, is asked for just one gift: the Naam to keep close in the heart.
This is the last letter-verse, a garland of names for the One that closes the alphabet. The names pour out one after another. Achut means never moving. Abhinaasee means never fading. Pooran means complete. Sarab mai means in everything. Nirankaar means without form. Gobid is the Keeper of the world. Gun niDhaan is the treasure of every good quality. Sangee and santeh kai sadaa sang mean the One is always a companion of the saints. Think of a friend writing a card and running out of good words for you.
Then the singer speaks of himself. Mai nirgun gun nahee ko-ay — I have no virtue, nothing of my own. This is the gentle honesty of empty hands, not hating yourself.
The whole garland lands on one request. Naanak deejai naam daan — give me the gift of the Naam. Raakha-o hee-ai paro-ay — so I may string it and keep it in my heart. The alphabet ends in a single asking, for grace received.
If you could ask for just one gift to carry with you always, what would you choose?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI